Don’t Miss The Fine Pink Steam Engine…

"Don't miss the fine pink steam engine" said the guide book to Northern Cyprus, adding that the engine in question, preserved at Guzelyurt in the north west of the island, was the only surviving relic of the railways of Cyprus. This didn't look too promising for a rail fan on holiday but how wrong it proved to be!

After all this our return to Guzelyurt to find the pink steam engine was something of an anticlimax.  It turned out to be the mine company’s no. 3, standing on a plinth in a park a mile or so out of town on the road to Girne.  It wasn’t really pink at all but a medium shade of brown, although in the bright Cypriot sunshine it had a certain pink aura about it!

The only other railway in Cyprus was another narrow gauge line in the south, connecting the mine at Kalavasos with the harbour four miles away at Zygi on the south coast, midway between Limassol and Larnaca.  It closed in 1976 and only ever ran diesel locos, one of which was preserved for many years at Kalavasos but was moved to the Laiki Cultural Centre in South Nicosia, not far from the Ledra Palace crossing point, late in 2003.  It was still there when we last visited in Summer 2004.

Northern Cyprus is one of the few corners of the Mediterranean still largely untouched by development although even here building by the seaside is gathering pace.  Its friendly and hospitable people, beautiful scenery, sunny climate, excellent cuisine and easy going way of life combine to make it an ideal holiday destination.

Lt. Col. B.S. Turner’s excellent and comprehensive book “The Story of the Cyprus Government Railway” published by MEP in 1979, ISBN number 0 85298 408 1 is recommended to anyone wanting to learn more of the island’s railways.  I am indebted to it for much of the historical information in this article.  It has long been out of print but it’s well worth seeking out a second hand copy.

Shelter Offshore can confirm that Amazon sometimes have second hand copies of this book.

Story of the Cyprus Government Railway

B S Turner

Click here to order a copy directly from Amazon!

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We’d like to sincerely thank James Waite for his unique contribution to Shelter Offshore and for granting us the permission to reproduce his article here for the enjoyment of our readers.